Research Supervisors

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The supervisor is the key person in a thesis-based graduate degree program. The principal role of the supervisor is to help students achieve their scholastic potential and to chair the student’s Supervisory Committee. The Supervisor will provide reasonable commitment, accessibility, professionalism, stimulation, guidance, respect and consistent encouragement to the student. Learn more

Graduate programs have different expectations regarding prospective students contacting faculty members. Some require commitment of a faculty member as thesis supervisor prior to applying while others assign supervisors in the first year. Please review the requirements for each program in the degree listing under the heading "Admission Information & Requirements" in step 3 "Prepare Application" under "Thesis Supervision".

Advice on how to reach out to supervisors

 
Name Rolesort descending Faculty Academic Unit
Gulati, Sumeet Professor Faculty of Land and Food Systems Food and Resource Economics
Beatty, John Henry Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Philosophy
Wachs, Anthony Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics, Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Jaiman, Rajeev Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Mechanical Engineering
Hamelin, Richard Professor Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences
Caron, Nadine Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery
Kieffer, Tim Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, School of Biomedical Engineering
Milstein, Sara Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies
Dechaine, Rose-Marie Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Linguistics
Perrin, Benjamin Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law
Cox, Daniel Professor Faculty of Education Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education
Rea, Christopher Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Asian Studies
Davis, Henry Thomas Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Linguistics
van Willigenburg, Stephanie Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Holt, Robert Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Medical Genetics, Department of Psychiatry
Keeling, Patrick John Professor Faculty of Science Department of Botany
Grant, Edward Professor Faculty of Science Department of Chemistry
Nislow, Corey Professor Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Bloch, Alexia Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Anthropology
Pelech, Steven Professor Faculty of Medicine Division of Neurology
Bansback, Nick Professor Faculty of Medicine School of Population and Public Health
Gleave, Martin Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Urologic Sciences
Stecklov, Guy Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Sociology
Kandlikar, Milind Professor Faculty of Arts School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Institute for Resources, Environment & Sustainability
Slingerland, Edward Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Philosophy
Brubacher, Jeffrey Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Emergency Medicine
Scott, Douglas Professor Faculty of Science Department of Physics & Astronomy
Joe, Harry Sue Wah Professor Faculty of Science Department of Statistics
Hakkinen, Lari Professor Faculty of Dentistry Department of Oral Biological & Medical Sciences
Li, Hao Professor Faculty of Arts Vancouver School of Economics
Vincent, Amanda Professor Faculty of Science Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Daniels, Lori Professor Faculty of Forestry Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences
Bartha, Paul Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Philosophy
Munk, Peter Professor Faculty of Medicine Department of Radiology
Fuller, Sylvia Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Sociology
Ohlin, Alix Professor Faculty of Arts School of Creative Writing
Rojas, Orlando Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Department of Wood Science
Ortner, Christoph Professor Faculty of Science Department of Mathematics
Kim, Amy Professor Faculty of Applied Science Department of Civil Engineering
DeLongis, Anita Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Psychology
Mathijs, Ernest Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Theatre & Film
Meneilly, Graydon Professor Faculty of Medicine Division of Geriatric Medicine
Moore, David Professor Faculty of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases
Hudson Kam, Carla Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Linguistics
Corrigall-Brown, Catherine Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Sociology
Harley, Christopher Professor Faculty of Science Department of Zoology, Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
Baines, Erin Professor Faculty of Arts School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
Cripton, Peter Professor Faculty of Medicine School of Biomedical Engineering
Margolis, Eric Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Philosophy
Alden, Lynn Professor Faculty of Arts Department of Psychology

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Reaching Out Tips

Complete these steps before you reach out to a faculty member!

Check requirements
  • Familiarize yourself with program requirements. You want to learn as much as possible from the information available to you before you reach out to a faculty member. Be sure to visit the graduate degree program listing and program-specific websites.
  • Check whether the program requires you to seek commitment from a supervisor prior to submitting an application. For some programs this is an essential step while others match successful applicants with faculty members within the first year of study. This is either indicated in the program profile under "Admission Information & Requirements" - "Prepare Application" - "Supervision" or on the program website.
Focus your search
  • Identify specific faculty members who are conducting research in your specific area of interest.
  • Establish that your research interests align with the faculty member’s research interests.
    • Read up on the faculty members in the program and the research being conducted in the department.
    • Familiarize yourself with their work, read their recent publications and past theses/dissertations that they supervised. Be certain that their research is indeed what you are hoping to study.
Make a good impression
  • Compose an error-free and grammatically correct email addressed to your specifically targeted faculty member, and remember to use their correct titles.
    • Do not send non-specific, mass emails to everyone in the department hoping for a match.
    • Address the faculty members by name. Your contact should be genuine rather than generic.
  • Include a brief outline of your academic background, why you are interested in working with the faculty member, and what experience you could bring to the department. The supervision enquiry form guides you with targeted questions. Ensure to craft compelling answers to these questions.
  • Highlight your achievements and why you are a top student. Faculty members receive dozens of requests from prospective students and you may have less than 30 seconds to pique someone’s interest.
  • Demonstrate that you are familiar with their research:
    • Convey the specific ways you are a good fit for the program.
    • Convey the specific ways the program/lab/faculty member is a good fit for the research you are interested in/already conducting.
  • Be enthusiastic, but don’t overdo it.
Attend an information session

G+PS regularly provides virtual sessions that focus on admission requirements and procedures and tips how to improve your application.